Five South Florida Food-Related Events This Weekend: Mack House Debut, Truffle Season, and More

Will Hurricane Sandy crash (and/or destroy) your Halloween party this weekend? That remains to be seen, but if you've got weekend plans anywhere in South Florida, it would pay to call ahead to ensure everything is proceeding as planned, as some organizers may pull the plug on events if conditions worsen. Case in point: The Traveling Plate supper club has rescheduled its October dinner (planned for tonight) to November 3 because of the predicted rain and wind.

All that being said, the main focus for this weekend is obviously Halloween. But costume parties and candy orgies aren't the only goings-on. After the jump, find a variety of food- and drink-related activities this weekend in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

5. Tropical fruit and vegetable plant sale

Need to get out of the city for a bit and surround yourself with plant life? The Rare Fruit and Vegetable Council of Broward County is hosting its annual fall sale at its research garden at 5105 SW 208th Lane in Southwest Ranches. The sale is 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. You can pay with cash, check, or Visa or MasterCard. There are dozens of varieties of plants available, including avocado, allspice, bananas, passion fruit, ylang ylang, and cacao. Limited quantities are available.

4. Truffle season at local restaurants

Truffle oil is an abomination that has no place on your French fries or mashed potatoes. Actual truffles, on the other hand, are pretty damned tasty and in much shorter supply than the chemical-tasting bastardization of nature's product. That's especially true this year, given that weather conditions in Italy were somewhat crappy in the truffle-harvesting department. There are a few South Florida restaurants serving up truffle-laced dishes this season, among them are Casa D'Angelo restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. The dish selections range from a $38 beef carpaccio with shaved white truffles to risotto with shaved truffles ($24 to $68), plus a few other entrees. Extra shavings of the coveted fungi are $10 each. Call ahead to confirm selections are on offer and to make a reservation.

3. No Kid Hungry Dinner at Buccan

As if you need an excuse to splurge on a meal at Buccan, chef Clay Conley's highly-rated restaurant in Palm Beach: The restaurant this weekend will host a dinner to fight childhood hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry will have an event at the lauded restaurant with a cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m. and a multi-course, seated dinner at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Guest chefs include Lindsay Autry, Paula DaSilva, Jean-Pierre Leverrier, and Ken Vedrinski. Tickets are $200 per person.

2. Boo Bash on the Boulevard

Halloween bashes don't have to be hedonistic cauldrons of liquor and naked skin, though that's a perfectly fine way to spend the holiday. If you're looking to remember the festivities and maybe even spend them with the kids, the Whole Foods-sponsored Boo Bash on the Boulevard on Saturday is up your alley. The party is 4 to 10 p.m. at the Downtown at the Gardens shopping center and includes tastings of more than 100 craft beer and wines, food vendors, and a costume contest. There will be plenty of kid-friendly activities and live entertainment as well. The cost is $20 per person and proceeds benefit the Resource Depot.

1. Launch party for Mack House

South Florida loves beer, and in increasing numbers, the beer of choice is a craft brew. Support the growing scene at the kick-off party for The Mack House, the in-progress nano-brewery for Holy Mackerel. The brewery is slowly transforming the space formerly occupied by Stage 84 in Davie into a space dedicated to brews, with a small brewing system and taps serving up (mostly) locally-made offerings by Holy Mackerel and other Florida brewers. (Note: Though Holy Mackerel is a Florida company, most of its lineup is contract brewed in South Carolina). On Saturday, starting at 7 p.m., you can help welcome the crew to the neighborhood and sample some of their wares, including the new Outkast IPA brewed on-site. The Rolling Stove food truck will be at the event to feed the masses and Random Heads will perform.

Down the Line

Want to be the first to know about upcoming events and specials? Sign up to receive New Times' weekly dining newsletter, Cafe Bites. Other specialty newsletters focus on music, arts and culture, and free stuff. Check them out and sign up here.